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Author Topic: Anything Else -- Shedding problems Joseph Pandolfi Expert Film Handler Posts: 213 From: Milford, CT. Registered: Nov 1999 posted 09-30-2003 03:48 PM                     After one week run on Anything Else we are having a bad shedding problem with the print. We used Film-Guard on several runs but it has no control of the problem. After every show I am cleaning yellowish white powder from the intermittent and lower gears. I even applied F/G on the intermittent shoe with a Q-tip. But it does not solve it. Hope this print leaves before I start shoveling the stuff out the booth.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 09-30-2003 03:58 PM                     Projector make? Platter make? Is the film scratched in any way? How did you apply FilmGuard? If you used media pads and a cleaning machine, what brand of pads did you use and what frequency? I really don't see this as being a cyan dye track issue. I think somewhere along the line you had something abrasive in the film chain (or a misthread) and that started your problem.  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 09-30-2003 04:09 PM                     I've had this happen before on several occasions, most recently with SINBAD. The problem was just as you describe and in that case FilmGuard did not stop the shedding. This was a major shedding problem with about a teaspoonful (5g) of residue left behind after each screening. I cleaned the whole projector with a vacuum cleaner and also cleaned the pressure bands in the gate in case there was a burr causing the emulsion to scrape off. Alas, nothing worked and the operators just had to keep cleaning that machine moreso than the others. Frankly, I think the film was defective but I can't swear to it since I never did a close reel-by-reel analysis (it would be odd for all the reels to be off like that). In that case, the problem went away when the movie got downgraded to one of the smaller theatres. By then, I guess it had done all of its shedding. Near as I could tell the image itself had not been scratched but the SRD track was definitely toast. I don't use SDDS here so I don't know if that was destroyed but that would be my guess. As for the projector where the shedding was originally observed there were no problems with subsequent movies.  |  IP: Logged Lauren Fisher Film Handler Posts: 12 From: Dallas, TX, USA Registered: Sep 2003 posted 10-05-2003 02:48 PM                     this may be late in coming but when we had anything else in our theatre it shedded. in fact it was so bad that it looked like a dust storm came through the projector head.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 10-05-2003 03:09 PM                     Everyone, PLEASE list what kind of projector you have. Without being specific, notations like this do not help the situation much. It could be an issue with a certain projector.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-05-2003 06:49 PM                        For what it's worth, I had no problems at all with this title (Simplex PR-1014). It's been quite a while since I've seen any real shedding issues on any prints. B&W ESTAR-base prints seem(ed) to be the worst, but I haven't had any trouble with those lately, either (using mostly Simplex X-L/PR-1014 and Century C or SA heads). I am assuming that there have been significant improvements in film stock and lab techniques in the last five years or so. Or maybe I'm just getting fewer abused prints now.  |  IP: Logged Jesse August Film Handler Posts: 58 From: Vancouver British Columbia Registered: Jul 2003 posted 10-05-2003 07:14 PM                     Might be a film stock issue.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 10-05-2003 07:42 PM                        I have had this problem on a Simplex where the gate was too tight (not the bands). The stop screw on the trap was in the wrong position.  |  IP: Logged Liam Utley Film Handler Posts: 42 From: Australia Registered: Oct 2003 posted 10-05-2003 09:18 PM                    I work at a 10 plex running all Cinemeccanica Vic 5's with curved gates, and one projector in particular sheds more frequently than others. I haven't found the cause, and it does not shed every film that it runs, so it is hard to identify the problem.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 10-06-2003 10:35 AM                        Kodak VISION Color Print Films have a transparent scratch-resistant conductive anti-static polymeric coating on the back side of the film. Compared to the polyester films of about 5 years ago, they have much better resistance to projector abrasion. For optimum projection life, Kodak still recommends proper lubrication of release prints, per SMPTE Recommended Practice RP 151. Print lubrication is part of the ECP-2D process specifications: http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/support/processing/h242/h2402_04.shtml#164364 The fact that you are seeing shedding even after the additional lubrication provided by a film treatment like FilmGuard points to a projector issue, such as a burr or rough spot on a film contacting component (gate, intermittent sprocket shoe), or excessive gate tension.  |  IP: Logged

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